Come and be part of a global voice for wild plants and fungi
This autumn, help us find Britain’s most colourful and important fungi – waxcaps.
Fungi are crucial to nearly all life on Earth, but they are not given the recognition and investment they deserve. Will you join our mission to change that?
Our corporate partners benefit from 35 years of experience in nature restoration so they can achieve real impact.
Become a Plantlife member today and together we will rebuild a world rich in plants and fungi
Taking a garden to Chelsea Flower Show is no mean feat. It was a journey of blood, sweat and tears for Dan Bristow to bring the most biodiverse garden to the world-renowned show in 2024.
Dan worked with local plant nurseries, mushroom growers, quarrymen and crafts people for his design, in support of climate change charity Size of Wales. This story has sustainability at its core and Dan will be joined by Sally Nex, from the Peat free Partnership.
Sally is the Peat-free Partnership’s advocate, campaigning for an end to the sale of peat in horticulture. She’s also an award-winning garden writer and professional gardener. She’s written three books (with a fourth on the way!) on sustainable gardening, as well as articles in magazines such as BBC Gardeners’ World magazine and RHS The Garden about gardening without peat.
Members only
How can we improve the plight of our most vulnerable species?
Join Welsh Marches Project Officer, Ellie Baggett and the boredomresearch collaboration to hear about connecting people to the elusive bryophytes of Welsh species recovery programme, Natur am Byth!
Hear about the conservation grazing goats – Dodger, Humphrey and Goatie – and the magical world of moss, exploring themes of strength and fragility, and drawing parallels to human resilience and vulnerability.
With a background in species recovery, Ellie has worked for a number of environmental NGO’s including Herefordshire Wildlife Trust, RSPB, British Trust for Ornithology, and the Wye Valley National Landscape Partnership, specialising in management and monitoring of woodlands and ancient trees.
Ellie joined Plantlife in 2023 as Project Officer for the Natur am Byth Welsh Marches project in partnership with Natural Resources Wales, which focuses on 15 target species of lichens, bryophytes, saproxylic invertebrates, and fungi, which are all threatened or on the edge of extinction in Wales, and are generally very small in size.
The Welsh Marches project seeks to magnify the ‘mini wonders’ of the marches area for all to experience, improving people’s wellbeing and connection to nature through inclusive events and building a sense of empowerment to protect nature in both rural and urban areas of Powys. The Welsh Marches project will undertake urgent conservation action and work collaboratively between sectors to find solutions to threats, so that these rare and less-charismatic species might be saved for the future generations of Wales.
boredomresearch is a collaboration between British artists Vicky Isley and Paul Smith, their work uses 3D gaming, animation and film tools to create poetic expressions that respond to a developing understanding of human dependence and impact on nature. boredomresearch have over 20 years experience producing technologically advanced artworks that embed scientific research, creating award winning projects exploring: natural systems, biodiversity, endangered and extinct species, human and environmental health. Fascinated by human interaction with landscape, their work brings together innovative science, creative use of digital technology and a deep understanding of the complex interplay between human culture and natural systems. www.boredomresearch.net #boredomresearch
Join National Trust’s Teddy Jones for a digital tour of Castlefield Viaduct, Manchester’s urban park in the sky. Learn about Manchester’s rich industrial past and the city’s long relationship with plants.
A conservationist rather than an out-and-out ecologist or botanist, Paul has been Plantlife’s Conservation Land Manager since 2021 and leads the Nature Reserves team. He has worked in nature conservation for over 20 years, managing habitats and caring for protected sites all over England.
Teddy is an Assistant Gardener and Visitor Experience Assistant at Castlefield Viaduct, delivering tours that showcase local cultural heritage and urban gardening initiatives. He sees this project as a catalyst for change within urban space, where wildlife has been pushed to its limits. He believes that it is not too late to find and restore balance.
Working on the Castlefield Viaduct project with the National Trust, he has witnessed the effect that the place has had on both people and nature. His enthusiam for this remarkable garden is well deserved – join us to find out all about it.
Join us and find out how plants can help solve crime.
Plants too are silent witnesses to crimes.
Their presence in many crime scenes can help an investigator identify a suspect or locate a victim.
Forensic botanist Dr Mark Spencer, will share how apparently mundane plants such as brambles and nettles can provide valuable insights into when a crime was committed or place a suspect at a scene.
Plantlife’s Dr Rachel Murphy will talk about other ways in which botanical records can be used for good.
With over 10 years’ experience managing and engaging volunteers within monitoring schemes, Rachel is a keen advocate of citizen science and the huge value of both biological recording and volunteer contribution to research.
Mark is an experienced and respected botanist. His expertise covers many disciplines including forensic botany, the plants of North-west Europe, invasive species and the history of botanical science.
He also works globally as a seasoned writer, public speaker and television presenter. As a forensic botanist, Mark has worked on various missing person enquiries, murders and other serious crimes.
At the end of the talk there will be an opportunity to ask questions.
We really hope you can join us for this talk. The talk will be recorded and a link to the recording will be sent to all those who register to attend the event.
So maybe you didn’t mow in May – but what now?
Our green space and road verge team will share how #NoMowMay can open up a world of different habitats and ways to manage your garden, green space or road verge through the rest of summer.
They will be joined by a representative of a local authority who will share their #NoMowMay experiences.
Andrew is Plantlife’s Conservation Officer for Road Verges and Green Spaces. He has worked with Plantlife since 2022 on empowering and enabling road verge and green space managers to create more wildflower-rich green spaces. This year, Andrew is supporting local authorities to get the best out of No Mow May, by using it as the stepping-stone to manage green spaces for nature throughout the year.
Mark joined Plantlife in 2022 as Road Verge and Green Space Advisor. Previously he worked for the Wildlife Trusts for 13 years managing projects that surveyed road verges and created wilder public green spaces throughout Lincolnshire. Mark’s focus now is on engaging Plantlife more in urban green spaces. He has supported the #NoMowMay campaign in the media and behind the scenes.
Have you ever eagerly taken pictures of an exciting plant, only to get home, check your phone and find all your photos are out of focus? This session will help you focus on your forget-me-nots and frame those foxgloves.
Botanist and author Leif Bersweden promotes plants by sharing his photos on social media. He will talk about the dos and don’ts of amateur botanical photography, what parts of the plant are useful to photograph for identification and much more.
Leif will be joined by Plantlife’s Cassie Crocker who will share how your botanical photos can support our conservation goals.
Leif Bersweden is a writer, botanist and nature communicator with a face-down, bottom-up approach to watching wildlife. He grew up in rural Wiltshire where he taught himself how to identify the local flora and has championed our wild plants and the joy they bring ever since. He is the author of The Orchid Hunter (2017) and Where the Wildflowers Grow (2022).
Cass, has a background in the arts, joined Plantlife in 2020, engaging the Bridgend community in green spaces and worked on Magnificent Meadows Cymru. In 2022, she then developed the people engagement strategy for the Natur am Byth species recovery program. Advocating for collaboration, art, and community involvement, she now focuses on enhancing people’s connections with nature as Plantlife’s Nature Connections Officer.
If you’ve learned the parts of a plant, the next step in your wildflower identification journey is to explore some common plant families. Join Sarah and Sam in looking at the features of 5 plant families; Apiaceae (Carrot family), Lamiaceae (Dead-nettle family), Fabiaceae (Pea family), Rosaceae (Rose family) and Rubiaceae (Bedstraw family).To recap the parts of a plant in advance, watch the Parts of a Plant webinar.
Sarah Shuttleworth is Plantlife’s Senior Ecological Advisor. She is a botanist with over 15 years’ of field surveying experience. She has a passion for teaching wildflower identification and loves to explore the natural world. She’s an active member of two local botany groups and has a developing interest in fungi.
Sam is a dedicated naturalist that has worked in ecological consultancy for seven years and is now Plantlife’s Ecology Manager. Plant community ecology and plant identification are Sam’s main passions which he loves to share through botanical training. Sam has a particular frond-ness for ferns.
About two-thirds of bagged composts sold to gardeners contain at least some peat, and almost all plants you buy are grown in it, too. Yet digging up this precious resource destroys one of our most important carbon stores and ruins a unique habitat.
Find out why organisations like Plantlife are campaigning to keep peat in the ground where it belongs, and discover how you can still have a beautiful, productive garden without it. Sally Nex, garden writer and campaign advocate for the Peat-free Partnership, and Alison Murphy, our Peat-free Intern, are joined by special guest, garden writer and former BBC Gardeners’ World presenter Alys Fowler to dig deep into the dirtiest issue in gardening.
Alison is the intern for the Peat-Free Programme. She recently graduated from the University of Reading where she studied Ecology and Wildlife Conservation, and this is her first professional role in the conservation sector. She has a passion for scientific outreach and bridging the gap between the scientific community and the public. Within the Peat-Free team her primary focus is on communications and public engagement.
Alys Fowler is a gardener, writer and former presenter on BBC2’s Gardeners’ World. She writes mainly about growing food organically and sustainably, previously for her hugely popular column in The Guardian Weekend and now for the Wicked Leeks blog. She’s author of several books including The Thrifty Gardener, The Edible Garden, and Eat What You Grow. She’s currently working on a new book about peatlands.
Gin just isn’t gin without juniper- but how exactly do the berries of this native conifer become gin, and what do botanicals add to its quality?
Darren from Maidstone Distillery will give you the answers, while Plantlife’s Matt and Ben will share what Plantlife has been doing to restore juniper to our countryside, and why Ranscombe Farm is the perfect place to forage for the botanicals that are added to Maidstone Distillery’s Ranscombe Wild Gin.
For the past 4 years Matt has spearheaded Plantlife’s work on juniper conservation in Southern England, a role that has taken him far and wide in search of our dwindling juniper populations. By working in partnership he with others is delivering juniper conservation at a landscape scale. Matt enjoys getting out and exploring the countryside and sharing his passion for wild flowers with others.
Darren is the co-founder of Maidstone Distillery along with wife Sam. He runs the day to day operations and also acts as the head distiller. The distillery manufactures five distinct spirits of which one is their Ranscombe Wild Small batch gin, proudly made in partnership with Plantlife. The distillery has won several notable awards including for its sustainability practices.
For 15 years Ben has managed Ranscombe Farm Reserve in Kent. His enthusiasm lies in practical habitat management and seeing the results of that work materialise. His intimate knowledge of Ranscombe’s habitats and the wild plants that grow there makes him ideally placed to support Maidstone Distillery to sustainably forage for the botanicals that make Ranscombe Wild Gin unique.
Nature has been a source of inspiration for artists for centuries, find out how nature influences Plantlife’s first artist in residence, Iris Hill in this online talk.
Iris Hill will share tales from her travels around the UK spending time in important places for wild plants and fungi.
How the experience has helped develop her practise as an artist will be at the heart of her storytelling, including her discoveries on the potential for the arts in nature conservation. Lisa will be joined in conversation by CEO Ian Dunn, who will weave in Plantlife’s successes and challenges from 2023 and what we can look forward to in 2024.
If you are already a member and have not received your email invitation, please email us at enquiries@plantlife.org.uk
Lisa is a watercolour artist inspired by the natural world, the connection between breath and brushwork and the utter joy that can be found when paint meets the canvas. From her studio on the south coast of England, Lisa crafts whimsical artwork under the name Iris Hill – an homage to her Nan, the woman who lit Lisa’s creative flame and helped it burn bright.
Ian joined Plantlife in early 2020 after a four-year stint as Chief Operating Officer at the University of Southampton. Previously, Ian was the Chief Executive of the Galapagos Conservation Trust and prior to that he was on the managing board of the British Antarctic Survey. He is a qualified yoga teacher and is re-engaging with his creative side through oil painting and writing.
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